With the last-minute addition of suggestions from the Federal Communications Commission, the BART board quietly ended the long, noisy, often angry controversy over its August shutoff of subterranean cell phone service.

The board, on a 7-0 vote, adopted a policy outlining when and how the transit agency may shut down the antennas that provide cell phone service to its underground station. There was such little discussion that directors Lynette Sweet and Joel Keller, who were out of the room to discuss another matter, did not return in time to cast their vote.

BART became the center of a fierce debate over First Amendment rights in the modern era when it shut down the system that provides cell phone and wireless access in its underground San Francisco stations on Aug. 11 to thwart protesters' plans to stop service by chaining themselves to trains. While the tactic prevented that from happening, it prompted outrage from civil libertarians, protesters and other activists, and led to international publicity, hacker attacks on BART-related websites and months of protests that shut downtown San Francisco stations on multiple occasions. The controversy also persuaded BART officials to adopt a policy.

"If we were faced with the exact same situation, we would not shut off cell phone service," said Bob Franklin, board president. "We would arrest people."

Powered by DCForum+ Version 1.1 Copyright 1997-2002 DCScripts.com
Software has been extensively modified by the DU administrators

Important Notices: By participating on this discussion
board, visitors agree to abide by the rules outlined on our Rules
page. Messages posted on the Democratic Underground Discussion Forums are the
opinions of the individuals who post them, and do not necessarily represent
the opinions of Democratic Underground, LLC.